Peatlands Climate & Restoration Scientist

About the Role

The Peatlands Climate and Restoration Scientist will play a key role in advancing The Nature Conservancy’s climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration strategies in North Carolina. This includes directly informing efforts to rehabilitate more than 30,000 acres of ecologically significant wetlands in eastern NC, helping to maximize the climate, environmental, and community benefits of restoration investments.

Responsibilities

• Estimate the reduction in wildfire risk due to peatland rehabilitation in North Carolina using historical fire occurrence data and environmental risk factors.
• Analyze relationships among fire risk, peatland drainage conditions, and other biophysical and socio-economic drivers of fire occurrence.
• Evaluate the ecosystem service benefits associated with reduced fire risk, including impacts on carbon storage, air quality, public health, and community resilience.
• Develop and apply models to assess future wildfire risk under a range of climate change scenarios, including potential risks of restoration reversal.
• Collaborate with TNC scientists and practitioners to integrate analytical findings into investment strategy and management planning.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive geospatial database incorporating fire occurrence and severity data, peatland extent and condition information, management context, climate projections, and other key determinants of wildfire risk.
• Present analyses and findings to technical and non-technical audiences, highlighting historical trends, key drivers of fire risk, restoration outcomes, and future climate-related risks.
• Prepare technical reports, white papers, scientific manuscripts, and other written products that communicate research findings and support conservation decision-making.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing across TNC programs and with external research and conservation partners.

Analytics and Reporting (70%) and Communication (30%) are the primary focus areas for this role.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a science-related field and 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with GIS software and data to create maps.
• Experience managing large, complex spatial datasets and analytics systems; proficiency in data analysis tools and coding environments.
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical modeling techniques and methods.
• Experience working with climate projections and scenarios to assess future environmental risks and outcomes.
• Ability to perform technical analyses and communicate findings to non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaborate with diverse teams, including conservation practitioners and academic scientists.
• Valid driver’s license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.

Desired Qualifications

• Multi-language skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience.
• Field experience.
• Ability to interpret guidelines and evaluate information to adapt accordingly.
• Strong time management skills.
• Track record of academic publications is a plus.

Pay

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is $30.00 – $35.00 per hour (for candidates whose country of employment is the USA). The actual pay will be based on factors such as location, qualifications, and experience.

Benefits

• Competitive, comprehensive health care benefits.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match.
• Parental leave.
• Accrued paid time off.
• Life insurance and disability coverage.
• Employee assistance program.
• Other life and work well-being benefits.

TNC offers a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of its employees.